Elements of a sett

**Dixiecat** · 2nd February 10, 06:34 AM

You mean like so?
(the elements are all equal, it's the camera angle that makes them appear to be bigger on the right)

**RockyR** · 2nd February 10, 06:50 AM

If there's a stripe running down a pleat (or in a change of color... from green to brown or brown to white), it should be in the CENTER of the pleat, not off to the side. Keep in mind that when you pleat to the sett, it doesn't have to be EXACTLY to the thread the same... you can make it look like the sett, but increase or decrease certain fields to make the pleats look better.

I've divied it up here how I'd probably do it (mine are the black lines). I might do 2 'all white' pleats instead of 1, but you get the idea. Some of the lines are ABOVE the others to show where I'd increase a field of color to stretch it. The finished pleats should all be the same width (my poor photoshopping ability may not be):

**Barb T** · 2nd February 10, 08:10 AM

I actually don't agree with Rocky on the need to center every color boundary. But, if you choose not to center a color boundary, you should hold it straight parallel to the edge of a pleat so that it looks good geometrically, rather than tapering both sides of the pleat.

What *is* crucial is making sure that pleats are mirror images of each other across a pivot (and your example doesn't do that). And you absolutely need to center any pivot.

I agree with Rocky that it's rare to be able to exactly match a tartan in the pleats. You come as close as you can, but some color bands will be wider than in the tartan and some narrower.

**RockyR** · 2nd February 10, 03:45 PM

Originally Posted by Barb T.

I actually don't agree with Rocky on the need to center every color boundary. But, if you choose not to center a color boundary, you should hold it straight parallel to the edge of a pleat so that it looks good geometrically, rather than tapering both sides of the pleat.

What *is* crucial is making sure that pleats are mirror images of each other across a pivot (and your example doesn't do that). And you absolutely need to center any pivot.

I agree with Rocky that it's rare to be able to exactly match a tartan in the pleats. You come as close as you can, but some color bands will be wider than in the tartan and some narrower.

Barb and I can happily 'agree to disagree' on something this minor as she's a fantastic lady with a wealth of knowledge (and a mean left hook

).

Whether a line is centered on the pleat or not is a matter of personal prefference of the kiltmaker and isn't the 'make or break' factor of the kilt. I think we DO agree that at least the pivots need to be centered (i.e. your white stripe and the yellow stripe) and that making it CLOSE to the sett is usually what ends up happening.

**Barb T** · 4th February 10, 09:01 PM

Yuppers!

**fluter** · 5th February 10, 06:47 PM

With this many elements, it seems to me that we'll have a great many pleats, with a very small reveal. Since my experience is 2.5 kilts, please enlighten me if I'm missing something.

**ChattanCat** · 5th February 10, 07:04 PM

with a small sett of 5 1/8" sett I would pleat to the white stripe, then black, then white, then yellow, etc. A reveal of 3/4" should work but you should do a test pleating so you don't drop any elements as you taper from hips to waist.

**Dixiecat** · 8th February 10, 01:13 PM

I would pleat to the white stripe, then black,

The 'black' is actually brown. A nice deep chocolate brown. As it is Dress Saskatchewan, I imagine the brown is for the colour of the rich prairie soil.

Will do up some test pleats and judge from there.